***EDIT 8 JAN 2012***
I'm so sorry to say that the loss of sound in Lucid Puppy USB setups continues. No, it doesn't affect full install to hard disk, only pupsave@USB (not sure about full install to USB drive). It was also reported on Slacko Puppy, and I had the same problem in Wary 5.2.1. However, developers are working hard to solve the bug, they even released a new ISO of Lucid 5.2.8 (update 004) which seems to have no problems, it'll be of great help if you can test it. On the other hand, it's been said that Racy 5.2.2 and 3HD don't have the bug, you can try them, too. In fact, I edited this thread from Racy and sound is fine. I've also been using Lucid 5.28-004 and works flawless so far.

There are also some steps you can take to delay (if not prevent) the loss of sound in your pupsave@USB install:
Make the pupsave BEFORE making any changes to the system.
Choose the standard save-file (ext2).
Go to Menu > System > Puppy Event Manager. In the 'Save session' tab, set the save interval to 0 (zero) and click OK, then restart X. Note that this way when there's a power failure you'll lose anything you didn't save to your hard disk or flash drive, so make sure you save any documents, files, etc. on the go. Your session will still be saved at shutdown, along with the programs you've installed and the settings you've customized.
Make sure the applications you want to install are as compatible with the version of Puppy (Lucid, Slacko, Wary, etc.) as possible. For example, if you're using Wary and there's a PET of your favourite program specifically compiled for Wary, it's preferable to use that PET instead of a PET made for Lucid.
If you install big applications (LibreOffice, VLC, Chrome, etc) make sure you do it properly. Wait until the installation is complete to make any other changes to the system. Note that some applications require to restart X to be fully operative.

You can also make a customized ISO that includes your favourite applications and setups, burn it to a CD and boot directly from CD without pupsave. This way, every time you boot Puppy it'll be a fresh start, but with the tools you need for your activities.

I had formerly written...

Videos become mute, by trying to play songs on Pmusic I get the 'Sound device not ready' error message (see screenshot). On new, fresh Lucid Puppy LiveCD+USB+savefile install, Lucid Puppy can 'bark', but after a couple of sessions soundcard is unespectedly undetected and in some cases Retrovol and its tray icon is missing. At first I thought it was one or two PETs I usually install (Opera, some eyecandy, etc.), but now I wonder what is it that causes this.
Please have in mind that I'm a complete beginner (although with errors haunting me so often I'm seriously thinking of learning some advanced skills )

Now, I know that this might not have anything to do with your situation, but I'm reporting this here anyway instead of opening a new thread.

My situation: frugal install of 5.3 Slacko on a USB stick. The system crashed and I had to do a dirty manual reboot. After that there was no sound and the system could not open the files in /dev/snd/. As a symptom, the volume adjustment icon was absent from the taskbar and music players gave similar errors to what ferro10n posted.

The reason was a corruption in aufs (the file system). Steps to recover:
1) Shut down the system normally.
2) Plug in the USB stick to another computer with Puppy or start another copy of Puppy on your computer.
3) Mount the stick (by clicking on its icon on the desktop).
4) Open a terminal window ("console") and use this command: auchk /mnt/sdb1 (Instead of sdb1, use the stick's actual device name.)
5) You should see a bunch of errors appear and auchk asks what to do in each case. I answered with "w" so it got rid of the so-called whiteout files that had been left on the filesystem.
6) Reboot from the stick, and sound works.

This is a bug a) beacause aufs seems to get corrupted on some people's systems for an unknown reason, and b) Puppy doesn't run auchk after a dirty shutdown as it should and as aufs' developer himself recommends (see here).

If you don't get sound working after repairing aufs, I recommend running the ALSA Sound Wizard in the Setup menu. I hope this helps someone.[/url]

ferro10n, The first thing to try is to install the Instant Update 002 for Lucid 5.2.8. http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=70855 If you have installed it, then uninstall it and try that. There have been similar reports to yours, but the cause is still unknown.

I'll have to add that I used the whole stick as (a part of) the filesystem, not a savefile. So I have no idea how to run auchk on a filesystem in a file. I guess you'd mount it in some directory (using a loop device).

I'm guessing that in some cases aufs can get corrupted if the fileystem is not unmounted cleanly during shutdown, because of some bug in the shutdown routine.

I think it is woof bug in snapmergepuppy.
Try the following. (EDIT: if you make a savie fille.)

Boot up puppy with 'pfix=ram' option.

Make a backup copy of the save file(lupusave.2fs or .3fs).

Click the save file to mount it.

Remove whole the /dev directory in the save file.

Click the save file again to unmount.

Boot up with the modified save file.

Anyway, save your session in a file and never save to the entire partition.
Saving session to the entire partition does not allow you 'pfix=ram' option, and difficult to make backup copy.

Well if you have save the session to the partition, you have a chance to remove the /dev directory on the partition by using another puppy or boot from the live CD.
Or, delete /initrd/pup_rw/dev and /mnt/home/dev and reboot._________________Downloads for Puppy Linux http://shino.pos.to/linux/downloads.html

BIG FAT WARNING : Puppy kernels are not configured [ yet ] with dynamic /dev directory management !
[ like most kernels of the major distros are ]

Removing everything inside the /dev directory
in FULL INSTALLATIONS
would make the kernel not being able to find /dev/sda OR /dev/sdb AND /dev/sda1 OR /dev/sdb1 ;

this would result in kernel panic IICR !!

Is that so? I have never tested with FULL install. EDIT: Karl, you are right. FULL install cannot boot up without some of /dev contents.

It is no problem with FRUGAL install where the main SFS has the essential files.
I do not mean deleting /dev of running puppy, but /initrd/pup_ro1/dev which is /dev in the save file(PUPMODE=13) or the /mnt/home/dev for the PUPMODE=7._________________Downloads for Puppy Linux http://shino.pos.to/linux/downloads.html

Thank you, guys. I've read in another post that I should also make the save file before making any changes to the system. Also, I usually set my install to copy the main lupu528.sfs file into my flash drive, can this file get corrupted too?_________________A beginner Puppy Linux user
Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU 2.13GHz 512MB
LiveCD user

I usually set my install to copy the main lupu528.sfs file into my flash drive, can this file get corrupted too?

Anything is possible.

You could not copy the Lupu528.sfs to the flash drive and just use it from the live CD.
See if that helps.

If I understand you boot with a Puppy live CD and keep your files on a USB flash drive.

One idea.
Format the flash drive ext3 or ext4, a Linux format. May help.
Most flash drives come formatted VFat.

Quality and age of flash drive could be an issue._________________I have found, in trying to help people, that the things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected

I did test Slacko, it's great! But it crashed on my computer. I did nothing but the usual for an average user, then I read somewhere I don't remember that it was made with newer computers in mind (certainly it was like a great party on my friend's all-in-one Compaq) so I simply tested other versions. I can try again by making a save file before modifying the system, as said before, maybe that works. You can see my computer details on my signature below.

Regarding Three Headed Dog, I think I can give it a go. I haven't downloaded it yet because my Internet is not fast enough. I'll let you know when I try it.

As for the 002 update for L528, I'm not having any problems yet since I've installed it, even got an improvement on the performance of some aplications. There's just one thing I can't solve yet--when I install Opera and choose it as default, I can't start it by clicking the 'browse' icon, as happens with SeaMonkey and Firefox. It's not such an important bug actually, I just copy the Opera icon on the desktop and set a hotkey. _________________A beginner Puppy Linux user
Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU 2.13GHz 512MB
LiveCD user

002 update for L528, I'm not having any problems yet since I've installed it, even got an improvement on the performance of some aplications. There's just one thing I can't solve yet--when I install Opera and choose it as default, I can't start it by clicking the 'browse' icon

002 update for L528, I'm not having any problems yet since I've installed it, even got an improvement on the performance of some aplications. There's just one thing I can't solve yet--when I install Opera and choose it as default, I can't start it by clicking the 'browse' icon

It must work with the system update, I'll see what happens. I didn't use Opera until you let me know of the L528 002 update because I thought the tray icon of Opera was causing the loss of sound (later it happened with SeaMonkey too so it's clear it isn't browser-related), and it disappeared after a couple of sessions (same as Retrovol). I'm using an SFS of 11.52 right now and works well, but the sound is missing again. If I weren't using an Opera SFS instead of a PET, it'd have disappeared too, leaving just the icon and showing message 'can't load Opera (no such file or directory)' when I click on it. I noticed that most of the time sound is missing when output device is missing, for example I'm not using my headphones right now, but last time there were PC speakers here and it happened the same, so it can be anything. On the positive side, this has taught me the value of files backup and Opera Link, and the joy of playing with other Puppy versions

It appears that Instant Update 002 for Lucid 5.2.8 may cause a problem with sound disappearing in some USB installs. Therefore if you install to a USB drive or flash disk, or if you save files on a USB drive or flash disk, it is recommended that you do one of these three things: 1) do not install Instant Update 002; 21) use the Instant Update 002a -> http://diddywahdiddy.net/Puppy500/Instant_Update-Lucid528-002a.pet 3) use Three-Headed Dog. For a USB install with all of the latest updates, you might wish to try Three-Headed Dog which is based on Lucid 5.2.8 but with the newer 2.6.37.6 kernel from Slacko. Three-Headed Dog is not an update of Lucid 5.2.8 so you would need to start from scratch. -> http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=70736 If you are already using Instant Update 002 with no problems, then do nothing.

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